You Are Not Alone
by Eric VanDerBoom
Summary: On a rainy night in the coffee shop, Mordecai gets up the courage to confess to Margaret... Titled after Michael Jackson's song, "You Are Not Alone"


Mordecai _**X **_Margaret - I Can't Help It

The rain came pattering down in calm rivulets over the outside of the windows of the dimly lit coffee shop. The soft beating of the rain clashed, however gently, with the beating heart of the only other occupant of the shop besides its workers: a human-sized blue jay.  
His cerulean, feathered face reflected a small bout of weariness mixed with slight frustration over the day, the feeling that nothing else good would happen in the day. The bluebird, named Mordecai, extended a tired wing toward his half-filled mug of coffee and took a small glug of it, feeling the warm liquid trickle down his throat and warm his body from head to toe. Thus far, it was the only remotely good feeling that he felt that whole day.

That, and the feeling that came when a certain cinnabar robin his size came his way. "You need a refill before we close, Mordecai?" she wondered in a feminine alto voice. He looked up to see the smiling, gentle, and sympathetic face of the one and only lady that he could possibly think of as more than a friend…_Margaret._

The mere looking up at her face brought a smile to his, but he denied the offer of a refill, but this didn't stop Margaret. Her response was to put the coffee pot down on the table and sit on it next to his position on the chair. "You know…it is almost closing time, and it's chilly and damp as all get-out outside tonight." Mordecai looked up at her face, decorated with concern and wanting to help him. He took the bait and replied, "Right now…the only thing I need is someone here with me…preferably you." Mordecai looked back down at the table at his words, at once embarrassed and relieved that they had slipped out.

To his surprise, Margaret didn't leave him at those expressed inner thoughts. On the contrary, she put her arms around Mordecai's upper back, leaning her head on his shoulder, her beak slowly nuzzling his back. Mordecai softly did the same to her, hardly believing that this was actually happening, his heart racing at a speed demon's pace at the feeling that it was. Finally, he felt happy that he had gotten his iceberg's tip of thoughts out of the way…but could he manage the rest? Could he fully confess?

He could sure as hell try.

"Margaret…" Mordecai whispered into her ear. She tipped her head toward his, waiting for the rest of his thought. "There's something I have to tell you…something that I've been wanting to for the last few years…"

"Why haven't you told me sooner?" she inquired.

"Because…you were so busy with the coffee shop and dating…then afterwards, I didn't know how you'd take it if I finally told you…but now…tonight seems like the right night…"

Margaret slowly parted from Mordecai just enough so they were holding each other slightly less than arm's length, his dark blue eyes staring deeply into her brown eyes, their beaks only centimeters apart. "What is it you've been wanting to tell me, Mordecai?" she inquired softly…almost teasingly and wantingly. At this, Mordecai immediately felt a lighting bolt strike through his heart…the feeling of being strengthened and weakened all at once. It was all he could to do keep looking Margaret in the eye and rasp out those words.

That's not to say it didn't take him awhile.

"I…well…alright…Well, I don't know how to say it, so I'm just going to say it straight out, flat out", Mordecai said, trying to mentally toughen himself.

"So say it, Mordecai…please…I need to hear it", Margaret begged in return. Whatever it was that lie in wait for them after Mordecai confessed, the choice was made.

"I…love you…Margaret", Mordecai got out…and looked downward after he finally made the most honest confession he would ever make in his life. He should have known there was no way she, of all people, would—

Something was bringing his head back up to eye level, pressing against the lips of his beak, wrapping him up in its – nay, _her – _arms. Margaret was holding him, kissing him tenderly. Mordecai could hardly believe it, and yet it was happening, just as him returning the action with all the love he could muster to his being was happening. There they sat, she on the table to his seated position on the chair, her bending down to his level to reach him. There they stayed, two lifelong friends…two new soulmates…two lovebirds ready to spread their wings and fly away into the mysterious realm that only love could have brought.

The feeling remained even as the two broke lip contact and repaired their eye contact, and as Margaret whispered into Mordecai's feathered ear, "I love you too…Mordecai…and quite honestly, I've felt the same way about you", she finished. At this, Mordecai looked of into space, thanking the heavens above that this, the moment he'd been waiting and so desperately wishing for had happened…and doing so even more when the lip contact resumed. Somehow he had the courage to lay her flat on her back upon the table and nestle on top of her as the rain kept falling…


End file.
